 In general, older, experienced females, called matriarchs, lead elephant families. These female-lead herds usually consist of adult daughters, their calves, and a number of juvenile and adolescent male and female offspring. Female herd members are usually related, but occasionally non-related individuals join to form families. Young females often assist their mothers with calf care and provide allomothering for younger calves in the herd. Since female elephants are known to remain reproductive throughout most of their lives, this is their primary activity beyond eating and drinking. Female elephants also appear to maintain lifelong relationships with their immediate relatives, particularly their female offspring. The connection of elephant females in the wild to their family members and calves is well documented in many situations.
 Male, or bull elephants have very different social needs than do the females. In the wild, males leave, or are driven out of, the family group as they approach sexual maturity, and spend as much as 95% of their lives alone or in loose association with other bulls. Though bulls are primarily solitary in adulthood, they do, at times, associate in bachelor groups and are in chemosensory (scent) and infrasonic communication (low-frequency calls) with other elephants in their area. In early years of adulthood, the young bulls spend time learning the capabilities of other bulls in their area and establish a social hierarchy and status. As they age, and grow larger, and can compete effectively for breeding opportunities, the bulls appear to spend their time eating, and seeking out females. Elephant bull nature is competitive, rather than affiliative.
An African elephant family group can average 8-10 individuals, where as, an Asian elephant unit tends to be smaller averaging 4-8 individuals.
 Elephants are highly intelligent animals that display complex social behaviors such as greeting ceremonies, group defense, submission, tactile contacts, vocal communication, scent communications, social play, courtship, mating, birthing, parenting, communal care, teaching, threat displays, charging, and fighting.
Elephants produce a variety of vocalizations including trumpets, squeaks, chirps, and low frequency rumbles. Rumble vocalizations are below the range of human hearing (infrasonic). These low frequency calls can travel several miles and may be used to coordinate their movements. Females may also use these calls to announce their willingness to breed.
|
